Working together

Representatives from multiple UK charities covering areas from heart disease victims to military veterans, will hear discussions on antibiotic resistance and will be encouraged to stop working in silos in order to prevent the potential antibiotics disaster.

“Imagine the tragedy of a patient battling through treatment — possibly using a new drug paid for through hard-won charitable donations — and then succumbing to a deadly infection such as MRSA,” explained Professor Colin Garner, chief executive of Antibiotic Research UK (ANTRUK). “This is an example where we must work together and not be bound by the single issue we champion — because that narrow-minded thinking could cost lives.”

Although, great import has been placed on health charities to attend the meeting — which will be hosted by Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, input is also sought from a wide range of good causes.

“Research has shown that antibiotics have leached into our seawater and our sewerage system and the more our bodies are wrongly exposed to antibiotics, the more chance we have of bacteria mutating and causing superbugs,” continued Colin Garner. “So, we would like to see environmental organisations play a part. Antibiotic resistance is abnormally high in rough sleepers — and so we’ll be inviting those working with the homeless to make a contribution, too. And since third sector organisations have such expertise in relating to the public, some assistance in counselling those fighting superbugs and getting messages across about not pestering doctors for antibiotics, would also be useful.”

ANTRUK is a charity solely dedicated to fighting antibiotic resistant infections that warns that if new medicines are not found to replace current antibiotics there could be a return to a pre-medicine age where people die from something as simple as an infected scratch.

Garner has recently called for a grand alliance to be formed by government, charities, researchers, academics and the public aimed at:

Reducing antibiotic resistance in hospitals and the community

Lowering the use of antibiotics in farming

Shrinking the level of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment and,

Seeing the introduction of at least five new antibiotics against gram-negative bacteria by 2030.